Racket
by sweetblackmagic
Summary: "What's your name?" he asked. "Kit. Katherine actually, but everyone just calls me Kit. What's yours?" "My name's Jared." "Nice to meet you, Jared." she said. - For all you Kings of Leon fans out there.
1. Chapter 1: Wake Up Call

_First story i've ever published on this website. There may be some grammatical errors, but don't hold it against me. : )_

**Early Saturday Morning**

Kit climbed the numerous flights of stairs to her apartment. Why she rented an apartment on the fifth floor? She didn't even know. She had been living in Nashville, Tennessee for quite some time now. Three years to be exact. Working her tail off to save up enough money to buy a little old building that was located a few streets away from her apartment. Kit, known by few as Katherine, was a hard working girl who'd moved to Nashville after finishing college. She had almond-shaped, wide, hazel colored eyes, with red, black-brown hair that draped past her shoulders. While, she was usually energetic, she had lost quite a bit of the much-needed energy trying to transform the building into the bakery she always wanted. She was tired, oh so tired, and she needed sleep. Now. As she made her way to the door of her apartment, she found a note from her friend, Bridget, who happened to live on the 3rd floor with her boyfriend, David. The note told her to call Bridget so they could meet up for lunch later that week. Kit unlocked the front door only to be bombarded by her French bulldog named Eustace. His fat, short, little body tried to jump to her. He was so excited and was having a little trouble breathing, snorting loudly. She greeted him in return and carefully placed him onto the floor before hanging up her coat and purse in the coat closet by the door.

Without so much as a word, Kit dragged her feet to her bedroom and threw herself onto her bed, under the abundant amount of blankets. And just as she was about to drift into a peaceful sleep…IT happened. All Kit could hear was this low, yet strangely loud instrument booming from the apartment above her. She threw a feather pillow over her head in an attempt to drown out the noise. After about an hour had gone by, Kit was still not asleep like she would've liked to have been and the instrument was still being played, unfortunately. It's not that it didn't sound good or anything, but Kit needed a good rest, and this musician, whoever they were, wasn't helping. At all. Aggravated, Kit shot out of bed, ran out the door, and began running up the stairs to get to the maker of the evil music that was keeping her awake. As soon as she reached the door, she could hear the same low, yet loud music booming from the apartment. She began impatiently banging on the door hoping they would hear her over their music. She heard the music stop, then the sound of boots walking across the hardwood floors of the apartment, and suddenly, the door opened. Standing inside the apartment was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He was a good height, somewhere around 5'8", she guessed. His short sleeve, plaid shirt had the first few top buttons undone. His hair was pulled stylishly on top of his head, giving him "bed head". But, his most striking feature (aside from his insanely attractive facial features) was his eyes. They were deep blue in color, resembling weather on an overcast day. And in his hands was a fully black bass guitar. When Kit finally came back to reality, he was staring at her expectantly, waiting on her explanation on why she almost broke the door.

"Hi…" she said.

He raised an eyebrow at her…a perfectly groomed eyebrow, at that.

"Hi." he said, "Do you need something?"

"Yeah…do you mind not playing your bass at four in the morning? I'm kind of trying to sleep."

"Oh, yeah sure. Sorry about that. I tend to get a little carried away when I'm writing."

"It's fine", she said, "Just…ease off a bit next time."

She had a small smile on her face and she could tell that there was one forming on his face as well.

"Yeah, so…thanks and bye…?"

She turned on her heel and as soon as she made it to the top stair he asked her to wait.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Kit. Katherine actually, but everyone just calls me Kit. What's yours?"

"My name's Jared."

"Nice to meet you, Jared." she said.

"Oh, believe me. The pleasure's all mine." he said, with a small grin.

Kit stood there for a moment dumbfounded, shocked that he was flirting with her and angry with herself for not flirting back already.

"You may find this a bit strange, but I'm house sitting for one of my buddies while he's away. And since I don't know anyone in this building, I was wondering if I could maybe take you out to dinner sometime this week?"

Again, Kit was flabbergasted that he was asking her out, while a tiny voice in the back of her mind was loudly saying _'SAY YES ALREADY!'_

"Yes.", she said, "Yes, you can."

**'_Thank God for racket…'_**** Kit thought. **


	2. Chapter 2: Bridget The Great

_So, what do you think? How am I doing so far? _

**Wednesday Afternoon**

Kit was having a panic attack. A very large panic attack, at that. She was too excited for her own good. She could still remember the seductive half smile that played on Jared's face during their entire conversation. They ended up talking for about an hour, him leaning in the doorframe inside the apartment and her, leaning on the outside. He was charming and way too handsome for his own good. And Kit was pretty sure he knew that. Whenever she thought about him, she got a serious case of Goosebumps. Their dinner date was scheduled for seven o'clock that night. It was currently three o'clock in the afternoon. Why she was getting ready four hours before? She had absolutely no clue. She had been standing in front of her closet in her bedroom for about an hour now and she still couldn't think of a good outfit. And Eustace was no help what-so-ever. He was currently lying on the comforter on her bed, sprawled out and snoring loudly. She decided to call Bridget and ask her to help her pick out the perfect get up for the upcoming occasion. And, of course, Bridget happily agreed. Bridget was from California. Beverly Hills, California to be exact. She had dark, blonde hair that went past her shoulders, freckled, tanned, skin, baby blue eyes and one of the worst attention span Kit had ever seen. A few minutes later, Kit heard a quick, and not to mention loud, round of knocks at her front door. She casually walked to the door and as soon as she opened it, she was tackled by her sunny friend. She grabbed Kit in a massive bear hug, picking her up in the process, which was impressive considering that Bridget was two or three inches shorter than Kit.

"Oh my Gosh!" Bridget said, jumping up and down. "Why didn't you tell me you had a hot date?"

"Must have slipped my mind, I guess..." Kit said smiling widely.

"So…who is he?" Bridget said, wiggling her eyebrows in a seductive fashion.

"His name's Jared. He's house-sitting for a friend of his up on the sixth floor." Kit said nonchalantly.

"Oh. My. God. You have a date with him? The bass player? He's gorgeous!" Bridget was jumping up and down with excitement. "You did good calling me, girl. We've got to make you out-of-this-world hot!" Bridget then grabbed Kit by the arm and practically dragged her into her bedroom and made her sit down on the bed before walking over to inspect the articles of clothing hanging in the closet.

Kit tried on every item of clothing in her closet. None of them worked. One was too ruffle-y, one was too pink; none of them were perfect enough to be the "perfect outfit".

"I told you I don't have anything nice enough for a date. I'm freaking hopeless…" Kit said, falling back onto her bed in aggravation.

"Don't give up yet, Kit. You've got one more thing you haven't tried yet." Bridget then disappeared into the back of the closet and reappeared after a few minutes. And in her hands was a white vintage dress with black detailing. "Now this is what I call a dress!" said Bridget, jumping up and down in an animated fashion. She laid it out on the bed and grabbed Kit by the hand. "Now let's get your hair and make-up done!" She then pulled Kit into the bathroom and motioned her to sit on the bathroom counter while she did her make-up. She pulled out the make-up kit out from under the sink and got to work. She made Kit's make-up subtle and curled and styled her hair. After about an hour or so trapped in the bathroom Kit strolled out.

"I don't have shoes that go with this dress."

"Oh I, do! They're perfect! And the best part…they're even your size."

"What are you doing with size eleven shoes?" asked Kit.

"I won 'em in a card game." said Bridget coolly.

"I don't even want to know." Kit said, raising her hands up in a defensive-like way.

"I'll be right back!" Bridget said, rolling her eyes, smiling. She then grabbed her apartment key from her bag and ran out of the apartment, closing the door loudly behind her.

Kit then plopped down onto her bed. She was beginning to feel nervous and self conscious. She thought of just leaving Jared a note and telling him she just wasn't up for tonight. That thought made her feel even worse. Eustace was still asleep. It was amazing how Bridget's loudness didn't wake him. Kit was pretty sure he found a way to shut her out completely. He was still snoring loudly. Big shocker there. She scratched his little body lovingly. His eyes then slowly opened and he sat up and looked at his owner.

"Hey buddy," she said. "What is it?"

He was staring at her and it kind of looked like he was urging her to go on this date. His big black eyes looked hopeful for a moment or so. Then, Kit heard the sound of the front door close as Bridget treaded into the apartment, a pair of black, sparkle-y, peep-toed, high heels in her hand.

"Got 'em" Bridget said. She saw Kit with her eyes downcast as she sat on the bed.

"Kay…" Kit said. Her eyes were still downcast.

"What's wrong? Kit, I know what you're doing. You've go to stop it. You look amazing! He's going to fall all over himself when he sees how beautiful you look."

"You think so?" Kit asked, now looking in her friend's direction

"Um…Duh." Bridget said. "I thought it was pretty obvious that you're gorgeous. You just don't see it. You work all the time. You need this!"

"Thanks Bridget." Kit said.

"That's what besties are for!" said Bridget. "Now let's get finish up."

Kit pulled on the dress, then, the shoes and Bridget helped her pick out a jacket and a small purse to take with her.

"And…done!" said Bridget. She was quite proud of her work. She was good…and she knew it. She DID go to Beauty school, after all.

"Wow…" said Kit.

"Can't think of any words to say can you?" Bridget said smiling. "Yes, I AM that good!"

Kit laughed lightly, her eyes beginning to water, and hugged Bridget tightly around the neck. "Thanks, Bridge." She said.

"You're welcome. Hey! Don't cry! You'll ruin you're make-up!" Bridget said, ballistic.

"I'm sorry." Kit said, wiping under her eyes, making sure not to ruin her make up.

"No more crying. Be good. And promise me you'll have fun tonight…?" said Bridget.

"Of course." Kit said.

"Alright. I'm gone. I'll see you in the morning? Ten o'clock maybe? We can have breakfast together and you can tell me how it went." Bridget said, a HUGE grin on her face.

"Can't wait." Kit said.

"And I'll keep Eustace, so he won't be here by himself. I'll get David to get his bed and stuff later."

"Thanks, Bridge. See you in the morning." Kit said, lightly smiling. She was so blessed to have a friend like Bridget.

As soon as Bridget and Eustace were gone, Kit didn't really know what to do with her self. She looked at the clock on the stove and read the time in the digital, bright, green numbers. 6:45 P.M. it read. So, she had fifteen minutes and the nerves were coming back, but this time they were from excitement. Now all she had to do…was wait.


	3. Chapter 3: Mr Hotness

Early Monday Night

Boredom, absolute freaking boredom, ugh it was horrid. She had only been sitting on her couch for 10 minutes, and she was debating whether or not it was okay to march up to his apartment and knock on the door. Kit wasn't even sure if he was still coming. She hadn't heard from him since Saturday. She could feel those self-conscious thoughts causing her back to tingle with loneliness. And she hated it. Attempting to rid herself of nerves, she got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. She read the clock on her stove with desperation; the large green numbers told her it was 7:05 P.M. _'Only five minutes late, no big deal'_ she thought, _'he's coming. Your freaking you self out.' _She leaned on the kitchen counter. Her eyebrows raised as her eyes darted around the apartment as she looked for something to busy herself with until he arrived to pick her up. Her eyes stumbled upon her recipe book, which was sitting on a small bookshelf, which hung over her kitchen table. She decided she'd write down a couple more recipes in the book to finish preparing a menu for the bakery.

_**-15 minutes later-**_

"Hand cramp, hand cramp!" Kit yelped.  
She had been writing down recipes in her cookbook for about fifteen minutes now. And still no sign of Mr. Hotness from the sixth floor. She got up from the table and plopped back down on the couch, leaving the cookbook open on the kitchen table.  
"Knew this was too good to be true…" Kit said, sulking.  
The clock on the stove now read 7:20 P.M. in a mocking manner.  
_'Piece of crap…'_ she thought, she was feeling livid now. It was the stove's fault…well, mostly Jared's…but the stove was an accomplice, she could tell.  
And just as she was about to give up every bit of hope, she heard boot clad feet jogging down the stairs in front of her apartment. Then, a few moments later, she heard three light knocks on her front door. She bolted off of the couch and ran toward the door, making sure to check out her make-up in the mirror on the wall by the door. She took a deep breath as she smoothed out her dress. Finally ready, she opened the door. And there he was, standing in all of his sex god like glory. He was wearing a black suit, which as paired with a crisp, white, button-up shirt. His hair in disarray on the top of his head, his eyes a cool, bright blue and his face showing signs of dark, facial hair. _'God Bless America'_ Kit thought, she was getting light-headed just looking at him.  
"Hi" he said his now signature side-ways smile shining brightly on his gorgeous face.  
"Hi" Kit said, even though she tried not to, a smile pulled its way onto her face.  
That all too familiar voice in the back of her head was telling her to cool it and she was definitely giving in to its commands.  
"You look beautiful" he said, his eyebrows raised his eyes slightly bigger.  
"Thanks", Kit said, a blush was slowly working its way onto her face. Was it getting hot in here or was it just him?  
"I'm sorry I'm late, my brothers needed to meet me for something, took longer than I expected. I'm sorry I had to make you wait."  
"It's no problem" Kit said, "no worries."  
"Good" he said his smile as back on and shining brightly. "Are you ready?"  
"Yes. Just hang on one second."  
And with that she ran into the apartment grabbed her jacket and purse and quickly locked the front door behind her.  
"Kay" she said.  
"Cool, let's hit it." He said, twirling his key ring on his pointer finger.  
They walked down the multiple flights of stairs together in unison. Making light small talk along the way. When they reached the bottom stair, he made his way to the door of the building ahead of her, politely opening the door for her.  
"Why thank you." Kit said, a huge smile brightly shining on her face.  
"You're so welcome, my lady." he said with a grin.  
The sky was a beautiful dark blue color as they walked down the sidewalk together, her heels making a loud clacking noise on the pavement. They made their way to a fully black, shiny Lexus, which was parallel parked. She heard the beep of the security system, announcing that it was unlocked. They both got in, Jared, of course, helping Kit into the car before getting in himself. They both buckled their seatbelts before Jared pulled away from the curb and pulled out into the street.  
After few moments he pulled into the parking lot of a small Italian Bistro named Lusco's. It was made of old brick and 100% covered in ivy. Jared got out first before opening the door for Kit and helping her get out. He trailed behind her as they walked into the restaurant. The restaurant was small and welcoming, giving off a calm atmosphere. Jared then walked to the hostess station, his hands casually placed in his suit pockets. The hostess was in her teens, Kit guessed, her face caked in orange base and way too blue eye shadow. She was giving Jared what she thought to be a sexy look, wiggling her eyebrows and squishing her lips like she was eating something sour.  
"Reservation for Followill." he said, pulling his hand out of his pocket to scratch his head.  
'"Oh Mr. Followill. Welcome." she said. Her voice was artificially deep, she was trying way too hard to get his attention and Kit was livid. "How many for your table?"  
"Just two" he said, turning around to admire Kit.  
"Oh..." she said a scowl obvious on her tangerine like face."Right this way."  
She led them to a small table in the back of the restaurant.  
"Your waiter will be right with you." She turned on her heel and marched off, making sure to give Kit the eye evil before she walked away. Jared pulled Kit's chair out for her before making his way to his seat opposite her.  
"I'm really glad you agreed to come with me." he said a small smile definitely present.  
"So am I" she said, smiling back brightly.  
"So, how long have you lived in Nashville?" he asked.  
"About three years... You?"  
"My entire life." he said chuckling.  
"You've got me beat" she said smirking.  
He half smiled at her brightly. Kit thought she was going to melt.  
"...How 'bout we play twenty questions..." he said.  
"Okay. Who's going first?" she asked.  
"You go first." he said.  
"Okay...uh...how old are you?" she asked.  
"24." he said, "how old are you?"  
"22." she said. She now had both elbows on the table, as she leaned in towards him. "Next question. What's your full name?"  
"Michael Jared Followill." he said. "May I ask yours?"  
"Yes, you may." she said. "It's Katherine Lockhart Johnson."

"That's an odd middle name" he said, he now also was leaning into the table.

"It was may dad's middle name" she said proudly.

"I like it. It's different." He said, lightly smiling. "Wait…was?"

"Yeah, he died when I was five. My brother, Nicholas, was 14 then."

"I'm sorry" he said. His eyebrows were furrowed down like he really meant it.

"Don't worry about it." Kit said. "It was a long time ago."

There food came then, ridding the atmosphere of any awkwardness. The food was amazing, Kit thought she had died and gone to heaven, Which would explain the amazing food and extremely attractive guy sitting across from her. They finished quizzing each other, asking random questions about each other's lives. Kit learned that Jared was in a band with his two older brothers and his first cousin. When she asked the name of the band Jared didn't say, he merely changed the subject, which struck Kit as a bit odd. When the dinner was over Jared paid the waiter and they both walked out of the restaurant together. Kit noticed that the hostess was once again pouting behind her podium. Kit laughed inwardly. _'I win!'_ Kit thought, proudly. They both got back into the car and drove back to the apartment building. Kit took her time walking up the five flights of stairs to her apartment and she could tell that Jared was taking his time as well. _'Oh, I definitely win'_ Kit thought. When the finally reached the door, Kit pulled out her keys. She was still pausing as she tossed them back and forth in her hands.

"Thank you so much for taking me out to dinner." Kit said. "I had a great time."

"The pleasure was all mine." He said smirking. "Seriously."

Without so much as a warning, his held his arms out and took her into a light hug. And boy was it wonderful! He smelled out of this world amazing. Kind of a woodsy smell, almost like sandal wood. She just wanted to take a big whiff of him, but she didn't want to be caught sniffing him. The hug lasted a few seconds…and Kit enjoyed every second of it. Jared chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Kit fought futilely to keep the blush off of her face. She was so embarrassed at her forwardness and she could tell that he was embarrassed, too.

_'Thank God'_ Kit thought, looking up toward the ceiling.

"Night Kit" he said, walking backwards toward the stairwell leading up to the sixth floor.

"Night Jared" she replied. She didn't fight the large smile that appeared on her face then.

He stayed on the first stair smiling at her, while she unlocked her front door. She stepped inside the apartment, leaving the door cracked so she could look up at him from behind it. He smiled widely at her and with a wink he bound up the remaining stairs to the sixth floor. Kit then pulled her head back into the apartment and closed the door behind her. She smiled widely as leaned her back against the door, pushing her bangs out of her face.

'_Mr. Hotness indeed.'_ Kit thought.


	4. Chapter 4: Diner Dash

_So, this is the new, re-written version of Chapter 4! Hopefully this will make more sense and sound ten times better! I personally thought the original version of this chapter sucked. It was a bit too random for me. And I like this one a little bit better. _  
_Enough of that! Presenting Chapter 4!_

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

**Diner Dash**

Late Tuesday Morning

Fabulous, absolutely fabulous…that's how Kit was feeling right now. She had just woken up from one of the best sleeps of her life. She lay in her bed looking up at the ceiling, her eyes sparkling, the massive smile playing brightly on her face. She stretched as she pushed off the covers and hopped out of bed. She immediately picked up her old, black, telephone, which sat contentedly on her bedside table. She pushed the buttons lightly as she dialed her best friend's phone number. Bridget answered…on the first ring, of course. Before Kit could say one word, Bridget quickly exclaimed she'd be there in 30 seconds. Then, all Kit could hear was the loud, monotone sound of the dial tone._ 'This should be good.'_ Kit thought. She strolled into the kitchen and pushed the button on the coffee maker. And sure enough, Kit then heard a frenzy of knocks on her front door. She opened the door to find Bridget jumping up and down in excitement, Eustace in her hands. His large, brown eyes were as wide saucers and his ears were shaking uncontrollably due to Bridget's elation.

"GOOD MORNING!" Bridget squealed.

"Morning." Kit said coolly, her eyes squinted. She wasn't fully awake just yet.

"So…how'd it go last night?" Bridget said as she put Eustace down onto the floor. "Did you get lucky?" Bridget wiggled her eyebrows, a devious smile on her face.

"Bridge…come on! It was our first date...we probably won't go out again anyway. The only reason he asked me out was because he didn't know anyone in the building."

"Oh Kit, puh-lease! Seriously. You're just too self-conscious to admit that you like him and that he might and probably already does like you back!" Bridget said, walking over to one of the old, white kitchen cabinets. She opened the cabinet door and grabbed two, brightly colored coffee mugs. She filled them with coffee and placed one on the table in front of Kit. Bridget then pulled out the chair next to Kit and gracefully glided onto the seat, spilling not one drop of her coffee. Now, that was very surprising.

"So, tell me everything that happened last night. I'm dying for details!" Bridget said. She had a giddy looking smile on her face as she shook her hands in front of her. They were balled into fists due to all of the excitement. Kit told every detail about the date, everything from the tangerine-faced hostess to their game of Ten Questions. The more she told, the more excited she got.

"Wow…" Bridget said.

"I know…" Kit replied back.

"I'm kind of jealous." Bridget joked. She was now leaning back in the kitchen chair; she was smiling lazily, her eyebrows raised slightly. Kit laughed lightly back. The moment was ruined when Kit heard her stomach growl loudly.

"Hungry?" Bridget asked, a smirk resting on her freckled face.

"How did you know?" Kit asked sarcastically.

"Hey, maybe you can finally take me to Lorraine's! I've been dying to try that pie you've been telling me about!"

"Okay. Let me get dressed real quick." She got up from the table and walked into her bedroom. She pulled an old, black, faded Smiths shirt out of her closet and grabbed her gray cardigan that hung on the back of the door. As she got dressed Bridget strolled into the room and fell back onto the bed, while Eustace sat snorting quietly by the bedroom door. Kit came out of the bathroom and grabbed a pair of jeans out of a dresser drawer. Pulling them on, she grabbed a pair of worn out sneakers and socks. After she finished dressing she applied her make up and brushed her tangled, red, brown hair.

"Kay." Kit said, "Let's hit it."

She petted Eustace on the head gently.

"You stay here, buddy. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Eustace snorted in agreement. With that Kit straightened up right and grabbed her keys off of the wall hook. After locking up Kit's apartment, the two of them climbed down the numerous flights of paint chipped stairs. They exited the old brick building and made their way down the sidewalk.  
He was all Kit could think about. Every single thought that made its way through her brain involved Jared Followill. His smile, his squeaky laugh, the way his eyes sparkled. Everything made her think of Jared. Needless to say, Kit had it bad…real bad.  
"Hello! Earth to Kit!" Bridget exclaimed. She was waving her hands frantically in front of Kit's face, trying to get her attention.  
"Huh?"

"Finally!" Bridget said, her eyebrows raised in slight concern, " Welcome back to the real world."  
"Sorry…" Kit said, flustered, "I was just thinking about something."  
"Or someone…" Bridget mumbled loudly so Kit could hear.  
Kit just rolled her eyes, a smirk on her face. She wasn't even going to bother saying otherwise. Bridget WAS right, Kit just didn't want to say so. They continued making their way down the sidewalk, turning on the corner and walking across the slightly cracked asphalt of the street. They were on the way to Lorraine's, which happened to be the best diner in Nashville; well, it was the best in their opinion at least. Kit met Lorraine after she'd moved up from Alabama all those years ago. After meeting just that once, every Monday after, Kit would walk over to Lorraine's restaurant just to visit. Well, that and get a piece of Lorraine's famous white chocolate pie. Even though Kit was a baker, there was no way she could ever rival Lorraine's white chocolate pie, it was just out of this world. They made their way inside the diner and slid into one of the old, red leather, booths in the front. Kit grabbed a menu and ordered, making sure to get two pieces of the pie.  
"So'd you get his number?" Bridget asked, fiddling with a pack of artificial sweetener.  
"No." Kit said sadly, "He doesn't have mine either."  
"Damn." Bridget said, " I would've loved to prank call him."  
Kit gave Bridget a glare.  
"You realize we're having pie for breakfast don't you?" Bridget asked, smirking.  
"Yes and I don't care." Kit said, smirking back.  
Lorraine brought their order out then. Placing the light pink plates down gently on the table.  
"Hey babies!" she said. "How y'all been?"  
Her curly, red hair was pulled back; her gray eyes were twinkling mischievously.

"Pretty good, Ray. How 'bout you?" Kit pulled Lorraine down for a sideways hug.  
"Aw, I've been good. Busy with the restaurant and all. What about you, doll? What have you been up to? Meet a guy yet?" Lorraine's mild gray eyes were twinkling even more so now.  
"As a matter of fact, she has." Bridget butted in, "She went on a date with him last night. And hot damn is that boy gorgeous!"  
"Good for you, babe! Have I seen him before?" Lorraine asked.  
"I'm not sure. His name's Jared, Jared Followill. Medium height, blue eyes, tall, gelled, brown hair. He's a bass player for a band, not sure which band though."

"That name sure sounds familiar. Good for you, girl. He your boyfriend yet?" Lorraine asked, a smirk spread on her face.  
"Like I said girls: We've only been on one date. One date! We're not dating, we just went out to dinner."  
Lorraine laughed loudly. "Alright doll, I was just messin' with you. Y'all go ahead and eat up. I'll talk to you when you leave."  
Lorraine turned and walked back behind the counter and into the kitchen. The girls began digging into their pie. Oh…Kit was in heaven and by the way Bridget's eyes were rolling up into her head, she was right there with her. Kit heard the jingle of the little bell hanging from the top of the door. She looked up to see who entered and boy, was that a mistake. There standing at the counter was Kit's ex boyfriend, Andy.  
_'Since when does __**HE **__live in Nashville?'_ Kit thought.

Kit slid down under the table.

'_Shit shit shit shit shit shit __**SHIT**__!'_ Kit thought.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She **HAD** to think of a way to get the hell out of here **without** Andy seeing her. Bridget's head came under the table then, a confused look on her face.

"Kit, what the hell are you doing?" she asked.

" Look by the register." Kit said through her teeth.

Bridget removed her head from under the table and looked over by the register. After a few moments she returned under the table.

"Oh! Who's he? Do I know about him already?" she asked.

"Yes! That's my ex-boyfriend Andy. You know? From Alabama?" Kit said. She was still freaking about a bit.

"You mean that overly needy guy you dated before you moved? The nerdy one?" Bridget quizzed.

"Yes! That one!" Kit said, anxiously. "We've got to get out of here without him seeing me! He'll ask me out or something!"

Bridget snickered quietly. Kit glared at her with all of her being. She **HAD** to get the hell out here. **NOW.**

"Fine, fine, fine." Bridget said, still smiling, "But how are we going to pay He's at the register."

"I don't know. Just…follow my lead." Kit whispered.

She then slid back up into the booth and pulled her cardigan over her head.

"Wow…that's not obvious." Bridget mumbled.

"Shut up." Kit growled.

And just as she was about to reach the door to freedom she heard her name being called.

"Kit? Is that you"?

It was Andy. Kit turned around, her cardigan still pulled over her head, her hair a ruffled up mess.

"Andy?" Kit said, fake shocked, "Oh my God! What a small world!"

Now that Kit got a look at him…nerdy was not a word she would use for describing Andy. He had filled out quite a bit since she'd seen him last. He was more muscular, wearing a flattering black t-shirt. His face was more defined; the glasses were no longer there to block the view of his faded, blue eyes. His dirty, blonde hair was slightly gelled and he had slight facial hair.

'_Maybe I don't have to get out of here so fast…'_ Kit thought.

"So, uh, what are you doing here in Nashville?" Andy asked.

"Oh, uh, I've lived here for about three years…maybe a little longer. What about you? How long have you been up here?" Kit asked. She actually was curious. She had to admit…he was hot….**VERY hot.**

'_Jared's hotter. He's not a total drip either.'_ said the voice in Kit's head.

"I just moved here actually. I live a few blocks away." He said, gesturing out the diner window.

"Wow, that's great!" Kit said.

"Yeah, I got a job at an architectural business downtown." he said.

"Wow, that's awesome. Yeah, I'm starting my own bakery, actually. I've been neglecting it a little though."

"I'm sure it'll do great, Kit. You always were the best cook." Andy said, smiling.

"Thanks Andy…" Kit said, smiling back. They stood looking at each other, smiling slightly.

Bridget cleared her throat.

Kit and Andy quickly looked away from each other embarrassed.

"Gosh, where are my manners? Andy this is my best friend, Bridget. Bridget this is my…uh…this is Andy."

Bridget and Andy shook hands with each other quickly.

"Well, I've got to be heading off but, Kit, I'd love to grab dinner with you sometime. You know, catch up and everything…" he said.

"Oh uh sure. Sounds good." Kit replied. She wasn't used to this Andy. He was hot, straightforward and he knew how to ask a girl out. Kit wasn't going to admit it but she was diggin' it.

"Here's my number." Andy pulled a pen from his front pants pocket and grabbed Kit's right hand softly. He gently wrote his number on the back of Kit's pale hand. "Call me sometime this weekend, okay?" he grinned widely.

"Sure…" Kit trailed off.

"I'll see you soon, Kit. It was nice meeting you, Bridget."

"Oh, you, too, Andy." Bridget gave a small wave to Andy as he exited the diner.

Kit just stood there dumbfounded. She still couldn't believe what a hunk her college boyfriend turned out to be. He was such a nerd when they were dating.

"Earth to Katherine!" Bridget said loudly. She snapped her fingers in front of Kit's face to get her attention.

"Oh uh…sorry, Bridge."

"I don't know what your definition of nerdy is, but that boy ain't anything near nerdy." Bridget said, honestly.

"He changed a lot since last time I saw him." Kit replied.

"Uh-huh." Bridget said, "Come on…let's get our pie and get outta here."

They paid for their orders and bid Lorraine goodbye.

"I'll see you next week, Lorraine!" Kit said at the door.

"Alright babies! Don't get in any trouble till then!" Lorraine said with a wide smile.

Holding their Styrofoam containers, the girls walked briskly across the street toward the apartment building.

"So…" Bridget said smirking, "Which one?"

"What do you mean?"

"Jared or Andy?" Bridget asked, that damn smirk still on her face.

"Are you kidding me, Bridge? Seriously?"

"Yeah…which one? I personally like Jared better. He doesn't seem as big a douche as Andy."

"I'm not saying anything." Kit said fiddling with her pie container.

"Aw! Come on, Kit. It's just a question!"

"Okay fine! I like Jared better! He's better looking, he's nicer, he's not a total drip, he's funny, and he has a nice ass! There! Jared! I like Jared better!"

"Kit?"

Kit stared at Bridget in horror, both of their eyes as wide as saucers. Kit slowly turned around to see who had called her name. Once she did she immediately wished she hadn't.

There standing before them in all of his hotness…was Jared. He donned a pair of black Ray Bans, his hair poking up in multiple directions a top his head. His plain white t-shirt hugged his muscles and his legs were squeezed into a pair of black skinny jeans, his boots rested comfortably on his feet. His eyebrows were raised quizzically and a smirk sat nicely on his chiseled face.

"What are you doing?" he asked, chuckling slightly.

"Uh nothing. Just uh...just talking with Bridget." Kit said, quickly.

"We were just on our way back from the diner." Bridget said quickly.

"Oh…cool." he said, his smirk changed to a side ways smile.

'_A panty dropping, side ways smile.'_ Kit thought.

"I was on my way to the record store around the corner. Do you, uh, want to come with me?" he asked, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Sure!" Kit said, excitedly "I'd love to."

"Unless you guys are doing something…" he said.

'No, uh, Bridget just said she had to go check on David. He's probably home from work by now. Didn't you Bridge?" Kit said, eyebrows rose expectantly. She turned her head toward Bridget.

"Uh…yeah. I gotta go. The boyfriend calls." Bridget said, an exaggerated smile on her face.

"See you later Kit." She said, smiling. "Nice seeing you Jared."

"You too, Bridget!" Jared said smiling slightly.

Bridget turned on her heel and strolled down the street towards the apartment building the three of them shared.

"I'll call you later, okay?" Kit shouted.

Bridget waved her hand at Kit, agreeing to talk later.

Kit then turned toward Jared, smiling.

"Ready?" he asked, grinning.

"Yeah." Kit replied, smiling widely.

And off they went.

* * *

_So, what do you think? Any better?_  
_Please review and give me your thoughts! No flames though. I am a newbie after all. : )_  
_Oh, and don't forget to check Racket's twitter page (on my profile!) to get updates on the Racket!_

_xoxo_

_Gabriel_


	5. Chapter 5: Let Me Get What I Want

_I told you it'd be here this week! ha ha I'm actually really, REALLY proud of this chapter. I was sweet and fluent. I'm totally diggin' it. But are you? That's the REAL question. Check it out!  
_

* * *

**Late Tuesday Afternoon**

_And the touch of your lips, it's a shock not a kiss  
__It's electric twist, it's electric twist…_

The music playing from the overhead speakers was on low. But the lovey-dovey lyrics made Kit's heart do flips. Jared was standing so close to her. It's not like he was meaning to or anything…he was looking through the store's old vinyl collection. She couldn't help but stare at the side of his face while he wasn't looking. His glasses were now hanging off of the collar of his stark-white t-shirt.

'_Thank God.'_ Kit thought.

She was rejoicing in the fact that she could now see his dark, bright, blue eyes set under those long, dark, brown lashes. His face now showed signs of a beard on the way. The five o'clock shadow sprinkled across his jaw and a slightly thick mustache was sitting contentedly on his upper lip.

'_Damn, I've got it bad…_' She thought, still gazing at the side of his face.

"You find anything you want to get?" he asked, looking up at her, "Kit?…you okay?"

"Huh?" she was quickly pulled out of her thoughts. She DID NOT want to get caught gazing at him like some lovesick teenager. "Oh uh…no…not yet. You find anything?"

"Not quite yet. I'm looking for a particular CD. You just can't beat vinyl, though." He replied, finishing with a small grin.

"Amen to that." She said, grinning back.

They were silent for a while…still grinning at each other. They're smiles slowly faded until they were both just looking at each other. Kit cleared her throat and darted her eyes to the carpeted floor beneath her. Jared quickly stared up at the ceiling, bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his head feverishly.

"So what CD are you looking for?" Kit asked, changing the subject as quickly as she could.

"Uh…The Cure's Bloodflowers. I had it but I guess somebody borrowed it and never brought it back." His lips were in a flat line as he shook his head back and forth in annoyance, "Assholes."

They took their time going through the record store in search of the CD. While in search, Kit found a Smith's CD she'd wanted for a while. Once everything was found, they made their way to the register, Kit getting behind Jared in line. Jared snatched the CD from Kit's hand and put it up onto the counter with his.

"What are you doing?" Kit asked, eyebrows raised with a smirk on her face.

"Buying you a present." Jared said, smirking back.

"No. I can't let you do that. You don't need to buy that for me." She said.

"I want to." He said. His smirk had faded into a light, lazy smile.

"Oh…" was all Kit could say.

He paid and handed Kit her CD, slightly smiling up at her through his lashes.

"Thank you", she said happily.

"Your welcome." He said.

They walked toward the door until Jared lightly tugged on Kit's forearm. She turned and met his big, blue eyes directly.

"Kit…" he said.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I was…uh…I was thinking." He said, " Do you…uh…maybe want to go out with me…again…this weekend?

"Again?" Kit asked, eyebrows raised, "Was the first time a date?"

"I don't know." He said honestly. "Do you want it to have been?"

He had a big smile on his face and Kit couldn't help but smile back at him.

"I don't know." She said, "But I do know that I want to have dinner with you again."

Both of their smiles got wider then.

"Okay." He said, still smiling, "I'll pick you up on Saturday…at 8:00."

"I'd like that…" she said.

They stared at each other once again. But, this felt a little different some how…a little more loving than usual. The music over the loud speaker was making the feeling feel about ten times stronger.

_So, please, please, please,_

_Let me, let me_

_Get what I want this time…_

'_Thank God for Morrissey'_ Kit thought.

Really all Kit wanted to do right now was grab his face and kiss him.

The chime of the bell hanging on the door broke them out of their trances.

* * *

They walked back in unison to the apartment building. Once they got to the front door of the building, they stopped. Kit opened the door, preparing to go inside. When she didn't hear Jared entering behind her, she stopped.

"Aren't you coming in?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Uh no. I have to meet up with my brothers" he replied.

"Oh…okay." She said a little bummed, "I'll see you later then?"

"This weekend." He said.

He then leaned in slowly. Coming closer and closer toward her face.

'_Please be doing what I think you're doing'_ Kit thought.

He leaned in even more and kissed her softly on the cheek.

'_Damn'_ she thought again.

"I'll see you this weekend. Maybe before if I'm lucky." He said, smirking.

"Okay", Kit said blushing.

He laughed lightly at her reaction.

"See you Kit." He said.

He waved lightly as he walked to his car and got in, the radio loudly playing his new Cure CD as he pulled off. Kit made sure he was around the corner before doing a happy dance right there on the sidewalk.

Kit immediately ran up the three flights of stairs to Bridget's apartment. Just as she was about to knock on the door, Bridget opened the door.

"Well helllloo there." Bridget said, coolly.

"Hi" Kit replied.

"How'd it go?" Bridget asked, wiggling her eyebrows, "Did ya get lucky?"

Kit rolled her eyes at Bridget.

"Let me in already and I'll tell you" Kit said happily.

Kit and Bridget walked inside the brightly decorated apartment.

"Where's David?" Kit asked, looking around for him.

"Oh he's at the office. Won't be back until 7. I've been waiting on you to get home so I could hear how it went." Bridget said smiling widely.

They went and talked about the whole thing, sitting down at Bridget's 50's style kitchen table.

"OH MY GOD! THAT'S FANTASTIC!" Bridget said happily, "I'm picking out your outfit again!"

"Okay", Kit said. She still couldn't get over the fact that he had asked her out. Out of all the girls in Nashville, he asked her out.

She couldn't knock the grin off of her face.

"I'll see you later" Kit said, "I've got to check on Eustace and hit the hay. I have to finish those menus and head to the bakery tomorrow. I need to open up soon."

"Alright" Bridget said, still grinning at her, "Call me tomorrow okay? We can pick out your outfit for your date."

"I will", Kit replied.

Kit hugged Bridget and climbed the two flights up to her apartment. As soon as she unlocked the door, Eustace was there to greet her. Snorting loudly as if to say hello. She greeted him by kneeling down and picking him up and rubbing his head. She carried him into the bedroom and put him down on the bed. She walked over to the dresser and grabbed her pajamas before heading into the bathroom to take her make-up off. Afterwards she went and crawled in the bed with Eustace, suddenly tired. She reached over to her bedside table and pulled out her Ipod. Turning it on, she placed it on her docking station. She immediately fell asleep listening to the song, thinking about Jared.

_Good times for a change_

_See the luck I've had_

_Can make a good man turn bad_

_So please, please, please_

_Let me, let me_

_Get what I want_

_This time…_

* * *

_So, what do you think? Yay or nay? I like it alot! I will try my hardest EVER to write the new chapter soon! If you like the story PLEASE tell more people about this so they can read it, too! I would love some more reviews! : )_

_The first song is called 'Electric Twist' by A Fine Frenzy and the Second is 'Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want' by the Smiths. __I don't think i'll ever get tired of either of them. They're just too awesome. _  
Til next time, guys!

_xxoo  
Gabriel_


End file.
